Where's My Cliché?
by Marshmallow-Maraca
Summary: Lovino is just living the same day over and over again - get up, go to work, deal with his annoying brother - and, like anyone would, he wants more. Everyone else is falling in love, and everything seems so appealing, yet typical. Still, Lovi thinks that, maybe, this could be the sort of thing he wants. Could an enthusiastic Spaniard do the trick? - My 'Vacations and Relations' AU
1. Chapter 1

Lovino Vargas' life was empty. It was always the same routine: wake up, work, go home, cook dinner with his brother, go to bed, and start again, and that bored him. He hated it. He hated having to get up and hear his brother's voice greeting him 'good morning' first thing, just to walk to the restaurant with him, work all day with him, and then go back to the house with him. It was the same old routine, and it sucked.

That was, until someone walked into his life, oh so casually, with his two best friends.

Lovino had been pretty annoyed that morning – their bartender had called in sick, meaning they needed a replacement for the day, and it was down to Lovino to do so. Well, he would be in the kitchen as usual, but Feliciano seemed to have that covered, getting all of the other employees back there organised, doing what they should be, whilst their waiters and waitresses served tables, and they seemed to be doing just fine, so Lovino could just get behind the bar and deal with anyone that needed a drink.

Feliciano was a little reluctant to let him do so, actually. He was sure that bartenders needed people skills, to be friendly and to probably not insult customers if they made any sort of remark that Lovino could get worked up about. His elder brothers had none of these qualities, yet here he was, standing behind the bar, waiting for his next customers to come and get a drink before they got a table.

Their restaurant was a small one, but popular, situated on the outskirts of Rome, attracting many customers and even having many regulars that they saw week in, week out. Feliciano didn't want to lose these customers and, in all honesty, neither did Lovino, but sometimes he would speak before his brain would engage and that would cause people to be insulted, offended and some wouldn't come back. It was difficult for Feliciano, because he didn't want to lose customers but, then again, he didn't want to be rude to his older brother, either, so he just wasn't sure what to do about him.

The younger of the two brothers often wished their grandfather, whom everyone called 'Roma', was there to keep him in line, but the elder gentleman had been spending more time at home and less at the busy restaurant now that he was getting older. He visited to make sure things were still running the way he had left them, often sitting down with friends or regular customers, but, other than that, it was down to his grandsons to keep the place going. Roma was the true owner of the restaurant, so, although Lovino and Feliciano were in charge now that he wasn't there to actually work, he was still their boss, in a way.

When cleaning the already sparkling table tops, ready for opening, Feliciano looked up at Lovino, making sure he was alright behind the bar. "…Are you going to be alright doing that, Lovino? Because I could always-"

Lovino soon interrupted him, putting a hand on his hip and looking over to him, "You think I'm not capable? Well, do you?"

"Well, no, but-"

"No buts. Just stop right there and let me do my job, okay? I don't ever question you when it comes to your job, do I?"

Feliciano didn't have the heart to say that, in fact, yes, he did, all the time, actually. He was constantly trying to correct him and tell him how to do his job. It was irritating, of course it was, but, again, Feliciano didn't want to say anything to him. It was hard sometimes, but he held it together and continued as he was doing, ignoring Lovino's 'advice'.

The restaurant was really homey and relaxing, on the whole. It welcomed you in with a bright smile and cheerful attitudes. With reds and yellows everywhere, it had a very warm feel to it and customers loved to be there. Feliciano made regular trips out of the kitchen to personally bring someone their food, happily telling them that he hoped they enjoyed their meal, which everyone always did.

Lovino, on the other hand, got people's drinks generally quietly. He didn't have time for chit chat, you see. However, he did smile sometimes. That was one thing that he was alright at and that Feliciano was thankful for. He didn't speak as much, but he put an expression on his face that would pass for decent instead of that dreadful scowl he often wore. It was nice to see this, it really was. It was even better whenever the elder brother smiled properly, but that wasn't to happen often, Feliciano could guarantee, and it was less likely to happen whilst he was working.

As he was serving, it was starting to get later in the evening, approaching around eight o'clock, and that was when three men walked in. They were loud, but fitting with the tone of the restaurant, so it wasn't like they were disturbing anybody. In fact, their jolly behaviour only made people around them begin to talk a little more, bringing laughter to others. They had brought an even brighter attitude inside with them, somehow, something that didn't seem possible until they came in.

The three of them sat down at the bar and laughed about something before discussing what they were going to drink. They weren't speaking Italian, that was for sure, and they all had thick accents, giving away that not one of them was from the same country as the other two. It took a moment for Lovino, who was standing at the other end of the bar, to realise that they were speaking English. It wasn't that Lovino didn't understand English – in fact, he was fluent, just like his family – but he rarely got to practice speaking the language that it often slipped from his mind.

Lovino glanced their way when he was called – he was only cleaning glasses, after all – and approached them, putting a hand on his hip and waiting for their drink orders.

This was the first time he had directly looked at the three of them and made the effort to listen to what they were saying.

One was French, no doubt, as Lovino could tell from his accent as he chattered to the other two about which wine he was thinking of getting – 'the Italians are good with wine' is what he had said as Lovino picked out his country of origin. His hair was made up of shoulder length, blonde curls, and he looked far fancier than the other two, even if his personality seemed to be reflecting upon them right now. He was dressed similarly, though. The three of them were wearing simple button ups of different colours, the Frenchman choosing light blue, and they were all wearing jeans accordingly.

The next man along was silvery haired, definitely the loudest of the three, wearing black and was… German? Yes, he had a German accent. Oh, great, thought Lovino, another one of these idiots. His dislike for Germans hadn't really come from anywhere. He had no reason to dislike them – in fact, his grandfather had known a German and was friends with him. It must have been the fact that his younger brother was so smitten with that German he had met once when visiting said country for a vacation with Grandpa Roma – it was Roma's friend's grandson, actually. Feliciano and he spoke regularly on the internet or over the phone now with him. Lovino did want the best for Feli, just like most brothers did for their younger siblings, and he just didn't like the sound of this 'Ludwig' even though he had never spoken to him. Well, he never made the effort to, no matter how much Feli tried to get him to come and say hi whilst he was hovering over the computer screen with Grandpa Roma in the background, waving to Ludwig's grandfather. No one forced him, thankfully, although it did result in questioning from Feli later that evening, usually him asking why Lovino hated Ludwig.

Finally, there was the third one, the one that actually did catch Lovino's eyes. Brown hair, tanned skin, big green eyes and a smile that complimented all of his features. He was a beautiful man, and Lovino hated to admit that he stared for just a second too long. When he had realised he was doing so, he replaced his admiring expression with a sourer one. A silvery cross hung around his neck on a chain of the same colour, and he twisted it between his fingers as he looked up at Lovino, seeming to think over his words carefully before he eventually asked the question – or, rather, the same question in a couple of different languages.

"Ah… do you speak English? Habla inglés? No, shit, wait… Lei… Lei parla inglese?"

Lovino rolled his eyes, losing his somewhat polite attitude to look at the third man who was clearly Spanish. "After asking me in English whether I spoke English, why did you bother to ask me in two different languages afterwards?" Lovino asked, his own English perfect. He hadn't spoken it for a very long time and had surprised himself that he didn't even need to think about what he was saying before he spoke.

The Spaniard wasn't deterred by this. Actually, he had laughed at what Lovino said, taking his sarcasm lightly, leaning forwards on the bar. "Point taken. That was a little stupid," he said, grinning up at him. "Well, that certainly makes things for us easier."

"…By that I can only assume that you can't speak Italian," Lovino said.

"Correct. We have come here with a guidebook in my respective language and a dictionary," the Spaniard replied, chuckling.

Lovino frowned again. "How the hell did you think you would get by with only a fucking dictionary? You can't just translate a sentence word for word and assume it will make sense."

He only laughed again at that, "I have _some_ knowledge of the language. Spanish isn't _that_ far off."

"It is. Italian is a much better language. In Spanish, the words are wrong, so don't think they're all that similar," he said, standing back up as he realised he, too, had been leaning forwards a little, "Now, are you going to stop wasting my time and order some drinks?"

Lovino glared at the Spaniard's two friends, who were laughing by this point. "Nice work, Antonio, offending someone who's serving you drinks. He's going to spit in your wine, I bet," the silvery haired man said, still laughing even after he had caught sight of Lovino's face.

"He wouldn't do that! …Would you?" the Spaniard, now to be known as Antonio, seemed to now be regretting joking with Lovino, or so it seemed. He looked unsure as to whether Lovino would go so far as to spit in his drink.

Lovino rolled his eyes and said, "The way you're going, I wouldn't disregard the idea. Now, order a fucking drink."

"You know, that's not a good way to speak to a customer. Most bartenders have people skills," Antonio said, but he was now smiling again, and Lovino realised that he was probably not going to be able to find anything to say that would make this man lose his grin.

"As cliché as it sounds, I'm not like most bartenders."

"…No, you're certainly not…"

His response made Lovino's body stiffen, but he didn't comment. Antonio's voice was smooth as he said those words, and he was clearly intending it to sound how it did. Who the hell did this guy think he was? The only thing he really was doing around here was, as Lovino had said, wasting his time, and he didn't need it.

"Do I have to tell you again?" Lovino growled, clutching the edge of the bar tightly.

"No, of course not. Hm, let me see… are there any wines you would recommend? I prefer red."

It was incredible that the Italian had managed to hold his patience for this long. He was getting very annoyed, angry and was fed up with having to deal these customers already, hoping they would get a table soon so they could bother one of his colleagues instead. He assumed that they would charm any of the waitresses with ease, and, just thought that he wanted to get rid of them. But, the Spaniard, on the other hand, spoke to him differently, especially when he had said what had made Lovino freeze for a moment. Maybe he just spread his charm to both genders, just to make out like he was this suave Spaniard, here to impress. Or, of course, there may have been the chance that Antonio actually liked what he was seeing…

Lovino wasn't having any of it, either way, muttering, "_Stupido cazzo stranieri_..."

"Ah, I'll have that then, gracias!"

The Italian stared at him for a moment, confused and stunned by how he didn't even process what Lovino had said to him, but he ignored it and looked to the German, "And, for you?"

"A beer, thanks. I don't care which, as long as you don't mess with me and break my bank account," he replied with a smile.

"We don't have beer that expensive," Lovino said, truthfully, and he then looked at the Frenchman.

"I'll have a glass of red wine, too, but probably not the same as what Toni is having," he said, giving Lovino a knowing wink. Lovino nodded and turned to fetch their drinks, and he could hear Antonio asking his French friend what he meant. He stopped listening, instead focusing on the buzz of conversation in the packed restaurant, wondering if they would be able to get a table tonight.

As he handed them all their drinks and they paid, he heard the excited squeal of his brother coming from the kitchen. It wasn't until he looked up at the window from the kitchen that he saw Feliciano looking his way and grinning widely. He rushed out of the back and over to where he was and got the attention of the German before Lovino had a chance to put the money through the till.

"Gilbert! Gilbert, it's me, Feliciano! Do you remember?!" he said.

"…Oh, you're Ludwig's friend! Oh, wow, how are you? I didn't know you worked here!" Gilbert replied, smiling back, now.

"Si, si, this is grandpa's restaurant! Oh, you have to say hello to him, too! How is your grandpa, by the way?"

"He's very well, and so is Ludwig, but I'm guessing you've already spoken to him today."

"You have got to be fucking kidding me…" Lovino's words broke the mood pretty effectively. It made Feliciano look up at him, at least.

"Lovi, this is Ludwig's big brother!"

Lovino nodded – as if it wasn't obvious already. This is just what he needed, that jerk's brother joking with him. He could only assume what was going to happen, now, and it wasn't surprising when his assumptions became reality.

"Ah, have you come to eat here? Come, now, dinner is on us!" Feliciano told all three of them, grinning still.

"Oh, that is so kind of you! Are you sure, because we can pay," the Frenchman said.

"Nonsense! Grandpa Roma wouldn't have it any other way, I'm sure! Come, come, I'll show you to a table! We're actually just clearing one up right now! Lovino, give them their money back! They don't need to pay for their drinks!" He took the money out of Lovino's hand, as he was still holding it, and passed it back to them.

Well, at least Feliciano talking to them had taken their attention off of Lovino, or, so he thought. Antonio smiled and nodded along with what Feliciano was saying, but that didn't stop him from glancing to Lovino every few moments or so, and this behaviour continued as he was lead to the table with the other two. It was only when Lovino glanced up and looked to where they were going that his eyes locked with the Spaniard's and he realised that he had been looking for quite some time. Lovino looked away instantly, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

Lovino worked for the rest of the evening and the restaurant's busy atmosphere died down, only a few tables left with customers sat around them. Naturally, one of these tables would be the one with Feliciano's… 'friends' around it. They were actually the last people to leave. Feli's laughter had crossed the room many times throughout their meal, joined by the other three, as he spoke of Ludwig, of the restaurant, of Italy, of pretty much anything that had entered the younger Italian's mind. Lovino didn't understand what was so funny all of the time but, then again, he hadn't made the effort to listen from the moment they had left the bar. All he knew was that he was giving away free drinks every so often, pouring the same two glasses of wine and one mug of beer each time. In total, they did have three drinks each, thanking Feliciano kindly for his hospitality but apologising when they had to say no to a fourth. They were walking back, and on unfamiliar streets it probably wasn't good for them to be drunk.

"We really do appreciate what you've given us this evening, though, Feliciano," Francis, the Frenchman, said as they got to their feet. No one was left in the restaurant, now, and most of the staff had left, only a few cleaning up the kitchen and wiping down tables, including Lovino who was wiping the bar and listening to their conversation, now, but only because he couldn't help listening.

"Oh, it's nothing! Really, it's our pleasure, especially for Ludwig's family and friends!" Feliciano replied, happily.

"Well, Ludwig actually thinks we're just his stupid older brother's friends, so…" Antonio shrugged.

"Oh, well, friends of Ludwig's family, then." Feli shrugged, "Where are you staying, then? Have you booked a hotel?"

Gilbert nodded, "Yeah, we're only in one down the street. The… grand… something. We actually got here this morning, and we've been there to drop our bags off, so finding our way back should be interesting." He laughed and put a hand on Feli's shoulder, "I'll be sure to come and say hi to your grandpa. We're here for a few weeks before we go home. We figured we should choose a country none of us had been to before, and so many people talk about Italy, so…" He shrugged, "that was our decision made for us, really."

Feliciano nodded along as he spoke, and he then said, "Well, I can always help to show you around. We don't need to be here every day, and Grandpa can always come and look after everything whilst I'm not here."

"Of course, some days we don't mind just walking around and getting lost. It's happened more that I like to admit when we've visited our home countries," Antonio told him, putting his hands in his pockets. "But we'll come back, I should think, and see if we need some help."

"Well, it's not a problem! I can take you everywhere you want to, and-"

"Feliciano," Lovino said, without looking up, "That's his polite way of saying no."

Antonio shook his head, "Oh, no, it's not! We most likely will need a hand at some point!" Although, now, Antonio's attention was back to the elder brother, and Lovino knew it. As Gilbert asked Feliciano where he could recommend for them to go, Antonio approached the bar and looked at Lovino as he sat down on a seat. Lovino tried his hardest not to look up, continuing to clean the bar of spilled drinks instead.

"So, you've been very kind to us this evening. Or, I should say, your brother has been very kind on your family's behalf," Antonio said, "…What will it take to let me buy you a drink?"

"I don't need anyone to buy me a drink," Lovino said. The bar was clean now, but he still didn't stop doing what he had been for the last ten minutes. "I can have them for free, too. And, even then, it's not for free, because we lose money having to buy new bottles to replace the ones we take. That fucking idiot has lost us money. It's not your fault, and I'm sure my grandfather would have done it, too, but neither of them thinks about these things before they speak."

Antonio nodded, "Alright, I understand. So… what would it take to let me buy you a drink elsewhere, then?"

Lovino paused in his actions, now, keeping his eyes on the nearest table. "…More than you can afford, I'm sure."

Toni laughed, "I don't doubt that it will cost me more than I expected, but I brought a lot of money with me."

Lovino frowned and looked up at him, "Let me save you some trouble, okay? I don't just go out with any person that offers to buy me a drink. Especially not stupid idiots that think they're too good to bother learning about a place before they visit. Especially not stupid idiots that think they know things when, clearly, they don't. Especially not stupid. Fucking. Foreigners." He turned away and grabbed a glass, pouring himself a small red wine and almost downing the whole thing in one go. He paused when he had drunk most of it, glaring back at Antonio.

"…I see," he said, nodding as he swallowed, but, still, he didn't seem to be bothered by Lovino's attitude. That REALLY bothered the Italian. Antonio continued, "But, you see, the thing is… I'm not one to give up easily. And, for the record… _Posso aspettare tutta la mia vacanza per voi_."

Lovino's head snapped towards the Spaniard and he faltered in thinking of a reply. He watched him, his mouth open slightly, but clearly took too long in speaking as Antonio spoke again. "I'll come back tomorrow. I hope you've made up your mind by then, okay?"

And, so, the Spaniard turned to go back over to his friends. He put an arm around their necks each and said, "Are we ready to find our way back?"

Francis nodded, "As we'll ever be, I believe."

Gilbert clapped Feli on the back lightly and said, "We'll be sure to drop by sometime this week."

"Okay, I look forward to it! Ciao," Feli said as he walked them to the door and out. When he returned, Lovino had gotten enough time to recover and he leaned forwards on the bar.

Feliciano turned to look at him, now, "Weren't they nice, Lovino? I'm so happy to see Gilbert again! I haven't spoken to him since my trip to Germany with Grandpa, and even then it wasn't for very long because he was always out with his friends. They must have been the friends he was with! They were both super nice, too, weren't they, Lovi? Antonio seemed nice. He was interested in you, anyway. He's not too annoying for you, is he? Because I know what you're like. You get pissed off at anyone and-"

Lovino nodded, an amused smile playing on his lips as he watched the door for a few moments. He had stopped listening again. He shook his head softly. Was that Spaniard too annoying? "No. …No, he's certainly not…"

*Stupido cazzo stranieri - Stupid fucking foreigners  
*Posso aspettare tutta la mia vacanza per voi - I'll wait my whole vacation for you


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. - before you read, just bear in mind that this is SUPPOSED to be on and off cliché throughout the story, hence the title. Just thought I'd point that out, and you'll see why.**

Lovino didn't know why the hell he found himself hanging around the front of the restaurant the next morning. Yes, he had found Antonio's vague knowledge of Italian, that managed to let him speak a sentence well, to be amusing, but that didn't mean that he was desperate to see him again, did it?

Well, Feliciano had noticed the change in his elder brother, and he, too, was amused about this. He was glad to see Lovino not complaining about everything for once, even if he wasn't saying much else in replacement for that. He was actually rather happy about what was happening between him and Ludwig, anyway, so seeing Lovino in a decent mood just added to that.

Lovino decided that he had wanted to wait tables that day, purely so he could keep an eye on the door, but he tried to focus on his work, able to note down each customer's order before glancing at the entrance, running the order to the kitchen, glancing at the entrance, bringing the food back, glancing at the entrance, and so on.

Feli was in the kitchen, cooking everything to perfection and handing it through the hatch for Lovi to take to tables along with the other waiters and waitresses. He grinned at his brother, noticing how he was keeping an eye out for his new Spanish friend – of course, he knew that he was looking for Antonio, that much was obvious – and laughed to himself when he caught him staring at the door. Oh, yes, this could be a fun way to have his mind messed with, especially when new customers were coming in and out and his head kept snapping up every time they did.

Antonio had seemed to have that oddly charming effect on Lovi. It seemed rather typical and he couldn't help but feel pathetic for it, but what was he going to do? It's not like he fell for random strangers or anything, but this one...

No! No, he didn't care. He hadn't fallen for anybody yet, especially not this guy!

...Well, it wasn't easy for Lovino to admit that he was disappointed when the Spaniard failed to show up that day, so, of course, he didn't. He kept quiet about it and, when closing time came around sooner than he wanted it to, he scowled at the floor, cursing in Italian at Antonio, at himself, at Feliciano, at anything and everything. Yes, he was pissed off. No, it was not because he was eager to see the Spaniard.

…Oh, who was he kidding? He was intrigued by the man already, and that bothered him a lot.

Why the hell hadn't he shown up when he said he was going to? He didn't seem like the kind of guy who went back on his word or like someone who lied about this kind of thing, right? He'd have at least expected him to drop by with an apology. Lovino understood that the man was on vacation with his two friends so he didn't really want to be messing around with someone he probably wouldn't see again afterwards, but it was still irritating that he hadn't even decided to let him know that he wouldn't be able to see him. Even just putting his head around the door and apologising would have been a decent thing to do, but no. Clearly he couldn't bring himself to bother doing just that.

"Why are you so upset, Lovino?" Feli asked as they walked back home. It was dark now, of course, and the street lights and strings of coloured bulbs lit up the river as they walked along it to their two bedroomed home not so far from the restaurant. They had locked the place up after cleaning and Feli was rather tired from cooking all day, even though he found it so easy. Their grandfather would be waiting at home for them to get back, to find out how the day had gone, if anything had happened whilst he wasn't there and how they were. He usually stayed up, no matter how late it got, and waited for them to make sure they got home okay, anyway, and was probably trying to learn how to shuffle and deal playing cards faster so that he could have the upper hand when playing with his friends.

Lovino shot an unimpressed look at Feliciano when the question was asked, and he shook his head, "I'm not upset? Why the fuck would you think I'm upset?"

Ah, here we go with the defensive act. Yes, it was clear that he was annoyed, but not necessarily upset.

"Well, I thought that it might have been because Antonio didn't come in today," Feli said.

"Antonio? The Spanish idiot from last night? Why would I be worrying about him, Feliciano? He's just another customer and you happened to know his friend through the Potato."

"Don't call Ludwig a potato. That's mean, and I hate it when you do that."

"Well, you'd better get used to it, because I'm not changing." He searched in his pocket for their house key as they got closer to the house and looked up at the small balcony they had above the front door, realising that the doors were open up there. "What's the point in locking the front door if you're just gonna leave the top ones open, Grandpa?" he asked under his breath as he put the key in the lock, but this didn't stop Feliciano's questioning.

"Well, I think you liked Antonio."

Lovino frowned at him, "No. No, I didn't, and why would I be expecting him to come in, huh? He's on vacation, not here to sit in our restaurant all day."

The two of them walked inside and through to the lounge where, as Lovino assumed he would be, their grandfather was sat waiting. He was watching the TV instead of messing around with cards tonight, flipping through the channels, not settling for one until highlights of that night's football game came on. He smiled brightly at his grandsons when they walked into the lounge, Feli having locked the door behind them both.

"Hi, you two. How was today?" Grandpa Roma asked, looking to Lovino as he collapsed on the couch next to him. "…You didn't take your apron off again, Lovi," he said, tugging gently at the white fabric around his knees, bright against his black clothing, the name of the restaurant sewn to the chest of his shirt in red. Feli was dressed identically, of course, save for the apron.

Feli laughed, "This isn't the first time and it won't be the last, right, Lovi?"

Lovino reached around his back to untie the apron, tossing it over the back of the couch, "Right, right… I guess I just forgot."

"You'd forget your head if it wasn't on your shoulders," Roma teased, ruffling Lovino's hair as his eldest grandson swatted at his hands. Lovino easily got irritated by his grandfather's teasing, too, even if it was only light and didn't mean anything. He just took it too personally, so Feliciano said, and he was often right – that and Lovino took most things way too literally, anyway.

"Shut up… I just didn't take it off. That's not my fault!" he said, rolling his eyes.

"Because you were thinking of Antoniooo…" Feli said in a sing-song tone, grinning at him.

"And you can shut the fuck up, too, you jerk!"

"Don't swear at your brother, Lovino," was Roma's first instinct when he heard the curse, but he then realised what Feliciano had said and he perked up a little more, "Who's Antonio?"

"Luddy's brother's friend! Grandpa, I told you last night that Gilbert was here with his friends, right?" Feli asked.

"Oh, yes, you did. Sorry, Feli, I'm just a bit tired. I can't remember… A friend of Ludwig's brother, eh? Is he as nice as Ludwig is?"

Feli nodded, "Yes, they all are! Lovi definitely liked Antonio, though, Grandpa."

Why couldn't Feli just let jokes die? He had to keep them going for as long as he could or until he forgot or got bored. Lovino got to his feet and pointed at Feli as he spoke, getting angrier now. "Listen, you. If you don't shut the fuck up right now, I swear to god-"

"Lovino." Grandpa Roma's voice was sharp as he looked at the elder of the two, "Do not speak to him like that. Honestly, how many more times do I have to tell you?"

"I don't give a shit! He just won't leave it alone and he doesn't realise how fucking annoying he is all the damn time!" Lovino said, but when he noticed the hurt expression now on Feliciano's face, he dropped his hand that was still pointing at Feli back down to his side. Alright, maybe he got a little bit carried away with that one, but he was right, and Feli did get far too annoying with his constant pestering sometimes.

"Don't be horrible to your little brother, Lovino. Apologise to him," Roma said.

"Apologise? Why should I? He… I mean, I… I…" he sighed and rolled his eyes before turning to go upstairs, "You left the balcony doors open again."

Feliciano watched him go before he sat up a bit more in his spot on the couch, sighing. "…Why is he always like that?"

"I don't know, Feli. He's always been difficult, in any situation he finds himself in. He never lightens up. You should know that by now," Roma answered.

Feli nodded slowly before he got to his feet, "I need to call Ludwig before it gets too late for him. He gets up really early in the mornings."

.

Lovino was trying to get to sleep when Feliciano finally came to bed. The clock was flashing the red numbers 02.45 and Feliciano had spent ten minutes apologising to Ludwig for keeping him up so late, not realising that he was only making it worse. Lovi could hear him from the back room downstairs, talking excitedly about most things that had happened that day, laughing over a spilled plate of pasta, for a short while before his voice went quieter. It was quieter for almost the rest of the conversation before Lovino buried his head under his pillow, trying to ignore Feliciano's desperate apologies at how late it had gotten. He then, however went quiet again for a moment before saying goodbye and goodnight. That was when Feli came up to bed, Grandpa Roma having come up long before him.

Feliciano and Lovino had always shared a bedroom since they were tiny, a one year old Lovino having to deal with newborn Feli's wails at two a.m rather than his incessant apologising that he often got nowadays. That was when their mother was still alive, of course, and able to quieten the tiny baby down as soon as she could, whispering to him and stroking his thin tufts of hair, her other arm around Lovino as he sat on her lap. She had a little bit of Roma's help, but then she passed away not long after Feli was born, and he had to look after the boys all by himself, their father disappearing out of sight the minute he knew that Feliciano was on the way.

So, when Feli came to bed, it, of course, disturbed Lovino even more. He glared up at him, eyes peeking out from underneath the pillow. He decided to bring his head out now, and saw a wide smile on Feli's face as he quickly changed for bed, leaving his boxers on and slipping on a tank top before getting under the covers. Lovino turned away from him to face the wall, knowing he would start speaking any moment now. Whatever he had been saying to Ludwig, or whatever Ludwig had said to him, had clearly made him far too happy, and Feli would need to vent it to someone, Lovi being the closest option.

"…Lovino?"

'Here we go,' he thought, but decided to answer him because he wouldn't shut up otherwise.

"What?"

"Lovi… have you ever liked someone?"

"No." Well, that was a lie.

"Oh. …Lovino?"

Lovino rolled his eyes, "What is it, Feliciano? I'm trying to sleep."

"Well, it's just… I want to know what it's like to really like someone. Not just to like them like a friend. ...To tell someone you love them."

Lovino sat up instantly and looked at him, "No, Feliciano, we are NOT doing this over you and that potato bastard! I don't give a shit if you like him, but I am not getting involved!"

"W-Why? I just think… that I'm in love with him and I wanted to know how love has felt for you…"

Lovino paused, then. Why did he want to know about HIS love history? Perks of being a big brother, he supposed, but due to his nosiness, Feli had known about all of his two previous partners. Lovino blushed at the thought before dropping himself back down to his pillow. Why was all of this happening to him now? How has that Spaniard managed to bring all of this shit with him all of a sudden?

No, it wasn't Antonio's fault. That would be ridiculous. How could it all be down to him? Lovino was just looking for someone to blame, obviously.

"Love has never been there for me, Feliciano," he told him, truthfully. He was right. There had been a girl and another guy, but he had never loved them. "Go to sleep now, please."

"But… Lovi, Ludwig-"

"I don't need to hear about that bastard at three o' clock in the morning, Feli. I fucking hate him and don't care. Just shut up and go away."

"But, Lovi-"

"For fucks' sake! Shut up, Feli! 'But, Lovi' this and 'But, Lovi' that! ...I'm going out. Fuck this and fuck you," Lovino growled, getting up and out of bed, which made Feliciano sit up immediately.

"Where are you going?" he questioned as Lovino pulled on jeans and a jacket.

"Anywhere but here until you fall asleep."

.

It wasn't cold at all outside, but it wasn't warm enough for Lovino to want to remove his jacket.

The Italian never went far from the house. He'd be tired in the morning, sure, but he'd rather go out and wait for Feli to fall asleep rather than wait around and listen to his yapping.

He knew it wouldn't take long. Feli got tired easily and would fall asleep quickly if he had nothing to focus on like that. Seeing as Lovino had done things like this before, he knew Feli wouldn't be too worried. He'd give it ten minutes or so and then go back in.

He only walked a little ways down the street before sitting down on the floor, leaning back against the building behind him and sighing. What the hell did Feli see in that potato bastard? Ludwig certainly wasn't anything special.

Was Lovino anything special? Sure, he attracted women and flirted back with them just like his brother did, but he didn't want to be with any of them? Why wasn't he attracting the RIGHT people? Even Antonio didn't come back, and that fucking sucked-

"Lovino?"

The Italian froze when he heard his name be spoken and turned his head to look. '...You have got to be fucking kidding me,' he thought when he saw that it was, in fact, the Spaniard coming towards him.

"...What are you doing out here?" he asked as he walked up to him.

"I could ask you the same question," Lovino grumbled. "The fuck are you doing out here at three in the fucking morning?"

He shrugged, "I couldn't sleep."

Lovino frowned up at him, "...So you decided to wander around at three a.m. In a strange country. Where you could get easily lost. Oh, and you just so happened to run into me. How suspiciously fucking convenient. Just piss off, okay? I don't want to listen to your bullshit." Lovino got to his feet then, starting to move away, but was stopped by Antonio grabbing his wrist.

"No, Lovino, please, don't go," Toni said as he shook his head. "I wasn't planning on walking into you, if that's what you were thinking." He decided to move a bit closer to him, making the Italian edge away a bit, yanking his wrist out of Antonio's grip. Physical contact was a no-go with him if he wasn't the one to initiate it.

"Whatever. How the fuck, out of everyone in this damn city, does it manage to be you who walks up to me, huh?"

"You think I would follow you home and wait outside your house all night? That's creepy, and I'm not the kind of guy to do that."

"Bullshit."

"It's not."

Lovino turned away from him, very pissed off, to say the least. "This is like some stupid movie or something. Guy walks into restaurant, asks man out on date, doesn't show up when he said he would, then just so happens to find him at three in the morning outside his house."

Antonio paused. Wow, he felt bad. How could he not? Lovino just said exactly what had happened and, even though he wanted to show up, he found himself busy with the other two and lost track of time. Lovino had clearly been waiting for him all day.

That made him feel worse.

"...So, what's the end to the story?"

"...I don't fall for the cliché crap," Lovino told him. "You don't know the ending until you get there, jackass."

Toni couldn't help but smile, despite the names being thrown at him. He probably deserved it, anyway.

"I wanted to come today. I swear. I went by the restaurant a little while ago to apologise, but you had already closed up," Toni explained. "I just lost track of time with Francis and Gilbert."

Lovino eyed him for a moment, wondering whether to believe him or not. This could have been a coincidence, he supposed. Antonio was right, he didn't seem like the kind of creepy stalker to do such a thing.

"...Would you agree to trying again tomorrow? Or, today, rather."

This new question caught Lovino off guard for a second, but his unimpressed expression remained on his face.

Well, he would like to see if Antonio decided to follow through with his plans, and he didn't even specifically say yes to the first set of plans anyway, because Toni had asked, or, rather, instructed him to be ready, and walked out. At least he was giving him the opportunity to agree on going with him.

"...That depends," he said after another moment. "Would you show up? It's not like I was waiting around for you or anything-"

"Of course not."

"-but I don't like my time to be wasted."

Toni nodded, "No, I understand. How about we settle on a definite time and place and I'll stick to it. What time do you close?"

Lovino shrugged, "It depends," he repeated. "We have to wait until everyone leaves because grandpa's friends usually stay until at least midnight if they show up. We never close earlier than eleven..."

This was true. Their closing times fluctuated depending on who was in there, but they stopped taking food orders at ten, just to be fair with their employees in the kitchen. The bar could be open until two a.m. on nights when grandpa was in there because everyone liked to hang around with him. He especially liked to get his deck of cards out if his good friends were there.

They had closed the bar at eleven tonight, though, because it was quieter. This let them get home faster, lucky for them.

"Then, how about I come and get you a little earlier than that? I'm sure your brother can close up for you with some of your colleagues," he said, smiling.

Lovino paused again. Well, he guessed he could pull himself away from work if it was alright with Feli... Then again, he didn't give a shit what Feli thought and could just leave anyway. His brother was capable enough of locking a door, he hoped.

The Italian nodded slowly, as if he were still thinking about it. He didn't want to seem too eager like Toni clearly was.

"Sure, I guess Feli can close up," Lovino said.

Antonio's smile grew even wider when he heard that. "Great! How about I come by at... Seven?"

Lovi nodded again, "Si, I suppose-"

"Perfect. I'll meet you at your restaurant at seven and I will not be late," Toni said. "I'd better go try and get some sleep, hm? You should, too."

Lovino frowned at him as he was practically told what to do, something he didn't like happening often, but he nodded again anyway. "I'll see you later, then, I suppose," he said quietly.

"I suppose you will."

The Italian offered him the smallest of smiles - the one Toni missed when he had spoken Italian the night previous - and said, "Quick tip. Don't walk around at three a.m. in weird countries. You might run into unfriendly crowds."

"Well, you're pretty friendly," Toni said.

"Who said I was friendly? I could be in the Mafia for all you know, dumbass."

"Goodnight, Lovino," he called as he headed back for his hotel, glancing back to see Lovino going back to his house, head turning away quickly to indicate that he was, in fact, looking after the Spaniard, too.

Well, he just wanted to make sure he was going away and not waiting outside of his house again, of course!


	3. Chapter 3

Lovino wasn't nervous most of the time. He certainly didn't get nervous about dates.

He wasn't nervous as he picked out a wine red shirt and black pants and put them on hangers so they weren't creased. He wasn't nervous as he ate with Feliciano and Roma. He wasn't even nervous when he told the two of them he would be leaving early so he could go out with Antonio and probably would be home later than usual.

"...A date? You're going on a date now?" Roma asked, putting his spoon down as he looked at Lovino. "I thought you didn't like him."

"He was lying, grandpa," Feliciano said for him.

"I wasn't lying," Lovino argued, but he did so as calmly as he could, putting another spoon of cereal in his mouth. They had cooked food all the time, so something simple for breakfast was always nice. "How can I decide if I like someone or not when I've only just met them?"

"And one date is going to decide that, is it?" his brother asked.

"Probably. I only knew you for a few hours after you were born and I decided I hated you."

This caused Feliciano to whine for a few minutes as Roma tried to convince him Lovino didn't mean it and tried to convince the elder brother to apologise, but neither of those things happened.

Feliciano knew he didn't mean it because he said things like that all the time, then the next minute he was consoling him when he was sad and trying to cheer him up or they were doing something fun and being happy together. That was just the way his elder brother worked, and he would applaud anyone who decided they wanted to take THAT on a date. It was inspiring.

Lovino finished eating and went up to get his clothes, hooking them over his arm neatly, ready to take them with him, when he came down and discovered his grandfather had changed into a nicer shirt and had combed his curls a bit more rigorously - it took a lot of brushing to tame the elder man's locks. "If you're leaving early, then I'm coming to the restaurant to make sure everything goes alright. Plus, I want to see this young man who is taking my little Lovi out, just to make sure he's worthy."

Lovino wasn't nervous MOST of the time. When his family wanted to get involved in his relationships? Yep, that's where the 'most of the time' came from.

"No. No, you are not going to get involved-"

"I'm not getting involved! I just want to check! Besides, I can call Juliet and tell her to meet me at the restaurant instead of here."

Lovi and Feli glanced at each other. Feli wasn't actually listening, but that managed to catch his attention.

"...Who the fuck is Juliet?!"

"The lovely lady who will be accompanying me this evening. She can have dinner at the restaurant with me, or, if everything is okay there, I can take her out like I was planning."

Lovino rolled his eyes. Brilliant. If grandpa had another damn date, he could use that as an excuse to follow him around, probably. He had done before and he was sure he'd do it again. He remembered him doing it with the first - and last - guy he dated - they only went to a restaurant, but Roma had sat in the corner, with his own date, of course, and watched from a distance to make sure no funny business was going on. This was after he had come out to his grandfather, and the man had wanted to make sure he was safe and not doing anything he shouldn't. Lovi hated it when he did that. He did it to Feliciano, too, though, so he couldn't complain about that. He was just a little overprotective.

Roma had every right to be, though. He had lost his wife and daughter with barely any time between the two and was left with the only close family he had left. They were like his own kids and he loved them more than life itself. Of course he wanted them to be safe and happy.

"You're always out with a different woman. How the hell did you settle down with our grandmother?" Lovino asked, snatching up his apron and tying it around his waist before picking his clothes up again.

"Your grandmother was an angel. No one could beat her. Besides, I'm sure she'd want me to have my fun," he teased.

"You're disgusting. And if you dare follow me around later-"

"I would do no such thing!" Roma insisted, but he had THAT look on his face. Lovino knew that look. That was a 'I'm lying but I could be telling the truth at the same time' look. He had seen it many times and was sure he'd see it again.

"...Good. I don't want to see you hiding in any bushes or anything like you did with Feli."

"What?" Feliciano's voice piped up, but the two of them ignored it.

"I won't. I told you, I have a date. Besides, if this guy lives in Spain then I have nothing to worry about anyway."

Lovino paused, then. ...Right. He could go on a couple of dates with Antonio, but he'd end up leaving and they'd have to keep up a long-distance relationship like Feliciano was with—

...Oh. OH. Grandpa didn't know about them yet. Maybe that could get the focus away from him for now. Besides, he didn't want to think of the after effects of his relationship with Antonio anyway. He was right here in the present, about to go on his date, and he was also going to get Grandpa to forget about it for now, too.

"Feli loves that potato bastard, you know,"

"Feli what?!"

"LOVINO!"

.

So SHE was Juliet. Lovino and Feliciano had seen her before. She wasn't as pretty as their grandmother, but she had a voice that was nice to listen to and she seemed to be very kind and lovely in her own way. Her brown curls framed her face beautifully and made her dark eyes look bigger somehow, and they could definitely see why Grandpa liked her.

The two brothers were currently leaning through the serving hatch and watching their grandfather. He was laughing with her as he moved behind the bar to serve her another drink as well as another for himself.

Feli had tried to stay quiet with Lovi all day after he told their grandfather about his little relationship with a certain German, but, of course, it's FELI we're talking about, and he couldn't stay quiet for that long even if his life depended on it. He'd be the sort of person a kidnapper would give back for free just to get rid of his constant yapping. Maybe a kidnapper would even pay them to take him back.

"Do you think he loves her? He was out with her last week," Feli remembered, frowning as Roma gently placed his hand on her back and he then must have told some kind of joke because it made her laugh.

"Do you even get the concept of dating, Feli? You don't fall in love with someone that fast. You date to check if there could be a future," Lovino said, but he was watching them with as much concentration as his brother.

"What about love at first sight?"

"That's bullshit. Who would go for that typical movie crap?"

Feli shrugged, but then pointed at Roma, "He keeps touching her like that. Do you think he likes her more than Grandma? She's not as pretty."

"No. ...You didn't even meet Grandma!"

"I saw pictures! You were too young when she died, anyway!" he argued, of course thinking of the pictures they had in the lounge. They weren't up, but just resting on the mantelpiece on their backs. No one wanted to put them back up as a lot of them contained Lovi and Feli's mother, too. Looking at them made Lovino just feel bad. Roma didn't seem to want to be reminded, even though he spoke of his wife so fondly almost every day. Feli didn't speak of either of them, or very rarely if he did.

"Well, whatever can happen may happen and I'll be happy for him," Feli said, turning away to go back to the back of the kitchen. He smiled and said, "Maybe they'll get married."

"This is their second date, Feli. Stop marrying him off to some stranger," Lovino said.

"Second as far as you know," Feli said, sticking his tongue out at him.

Of course, neither of them noticed the clock ticking around to seven o' clock. Lovino was pushing a pizza into the pizza oven before walking over to start on a new one when it actually hit on seven. Feliciano was out waiting on Roma's table, kneeling next to Juliet and telling her it was lovely to meet her and that Roma was lucky to have such a beautiful woman with him tonight, all of that usual stuff Feli spouts. Lovi could hear him from the back of the kitchen, for crying out loud! How lovely Juliet is, and how fun it would be for her, out with Roma tonight on such a lovely evening, and hello Antonio, how are y-

Hello who?!

Lovino nearly dropped several plates when he heard that name being said and his eyes darted to the clock.

Seven. Fuck.

FUCK.

The Italian put the plates down on the counter and hastily untied his apron, getting the strings tangled and having them knot together tighter as a response to his rushing to yank it off. Damn that stupid Spanish bastard for being right on time. Damn him for not watching the clock. Damn the person who ordered the last pizza and distracted him.

And now Feli was introducing Roma to Antonio. How goddamn perfect! Now Roma would say the most embarrassing things and Antonio would think he'd come from a family of freaks who can't keep their mouths shut! ...Oh, who was he kidding? He DID come from that family!

Well, Lovino yanked at the apron even harder and managed to tear the string off, but he was free of it and that's all that mattered. Now he just had to go into the bathroom and change and make sure he looked presentable, because he knew there would be some sort of food ingredient or topping splashed on his face from his overzealous attitude to making pizzas and Toni would think him more of a freak if he went out there covered in tomato or something—

Shit. He left Antonio with his family! Oh, God, Feli is probably putting Antonio right off as Lovi rushed to unbutton his shirt and replace it for the red one. His work pants were dotted with specks of flour but he couldn't worry about that now. He pulled them off and nearly tripped pulling the clean ones on.

Nothing on his face. That's a first. He decided to run a comb through his hair as best he could, smoothing it all out in its usual style, save for the stray curl pinging up from where his hair was parted, and checked himself over. ...He looked fine. Better than fine. He looked good.

...Maybe he looked like he was trying hard, though. Why would he put effort into looking so good for him? He didn't want to look desperate or—

"Lovi? You still in there?" Feli's voice travelled through the door of the bathroom.

"Fuck off, Feli."

"Antonio's waiting. You've been in there for a little while and he was wondering if you're still coming."

Lovino pushed the door open, dirtied work clothes in his arms. "I'm coming. I was just changing. Why would I hurry? It's only some guy, after all." Smooth. Now Feli wouldn't think he was just freaking out - not that he was, of course! - and Toni wouldn't think he wasn't coming.

Lovino thrust his clothes into Feliciano's arms and took a deep breath before walking out into the restaurant. ...Antonio looked good. Better than good. Lovi was impressed. He was wearing a black shirt and dark jeans and the same silver cross from the other night was still hanging around his neck. Chocolate brown hair tousled, it just made him look se—

No, Lovino wasn't even going to think that word. That wasn't acceptable just yet.

"Ciao, Lovino," he said smoothly, a smile making its way onto his lips as he looked him up and down. "You look great."

"I always look great. You think I would put effort into looking like this tonight? You're mistaken," he replied in English, trying to work past his thick accent. After speaking in English for a while, his accent wasn't so bad when he got used to doing so.

"Well, I don't doubt that. You look as good as you did this morning, too. I hope you got a good nights' sleep."

"I hope you found your hotel again. If not, then it's your own fault."

Toni laughed, "No, I did, thank you."

"Okay, dumbass, let's get going. I hope you've got something good planned," he said, flashing a small smile at him, "I want to be impressed."

"You two have fun. Not too much fun, but... Just the regular amount of fun that you should be having. Just eating dinner. Nothing more," Roma said with a firm nod, watching Antonio carefully. Lovino sighed and grabbed Toni's shirt to practically pull him out of the restaurant and away from his weird grandfather and brother. Well, wasn't that little farewell just perfect? He had practically just told him to have dinner but no sex without actually saying the words.

Lovi wasn't stupid anyway. He wouldn't do that on the first date, no matter how charming this idiot was so far.

"Feliciano," Roma said as he watched Lovino and Antonio leave the restaurant. "What do you think of them?"

"Oh, I think Antonio's really nice! ...Completely unlike Lovino..." Feli answered.

"Yeah, exactly. What the hell does Toni see in him when he's acting so grumpy...?"

"...and today we went to see the colosseum. I thought that we should before we head up to Venice tomorrow, because then we'll have generally seen all there is to see in Rome."

Lovino nodded along, having heard this sort of thing many times before. The man worked in a restaurant and, well, having it just outside of the tourist trap that is Rome meant that tourists ventured out a little to see what they could find, meaning a lot of them ended up in the restaurant. He hadn't even asked Antonio about his day, but the man was on vacation, so he expected as much.

"Venice is lovely... I like to go up there for day trips, but there are a lot of couples everywhere, which makes it busy and hard to tolerate, and sometimes Feliciano comes along, too, which makes my life harder," Lovino grumbled.

Toni laughed, "Your brother doesn't seem that bad."

"He's fucking irritating. You don't have to live with him. You don't have any siblings to compare, do you?"

"Well, no, but I've got a cousin and we used to spend a lot of time together. Does that count? Because he was- what are you looking at?"

Lovino paused in his steps abruptly as he realised his eyes had travelled down to stare at the man's ass. ...Oh, fuck... Well, that would certainly explain why he was walking a pace or two behind him and why Toni had to keep pausing to let him catch up.

"...Nothing. I wasn't looking at anything," Lovi said, quickly, his face flushing bright red as he looked down at the ground beneath them. Barely five minutes out on the date and he'd already embarrassed himself. ...But how the hell was it so freaking perky?

"...Were you looking at my-"

"No! No, I wasn't! You're not that interesting!"

Toni couldn't help the smile spreading across his face as he waited for Lovi to start walking again. "...It's okay. Now I know what you find attractive," he said.

Lovino glared at him, "Who said I found you attractive? I never said I found you or THAT attractive, so-"

"Ah, so you were looking."

Lovino realised his mistake as soon as he said it, looking up at the Spaniard with a blank expression now. He had walked right into his situation, so he couldn't really blame anything on Toni anymore. After a brief silence, he started to walk again, straight past Toni with a scowl on his face, "Shut up, dumbass."

Toni simply chuckled and walked after him, catching up easily. He walked alongside him in silence for a minute or two before offering his arm for the Italian to take.

Lovino looked at it like it was poison.

"...What? I'm not going to hurt you," Toni said, "And I won't mention it again."

Very reluctantly, Lovi reached out and wound his arm around Antonio's, staring up at him and looking his features over. His green eyes were just so soft and showed a lot of care behind them. He really liked that about him. He had a strong jawline, and he was just... Really pleasing to look at. He was one of those people that was generally attractive in all the right ways.

"...I didn't think you would bother to come back, you know," Lovino said when they had walked for a few more steps. "I'm just some random guy who works in some random restaurant."

Toni smiled softly as he looked down at him, "Yeah, that's true-" Lovino snorted. "-but you're really quite cute."

"Cute!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to- look, I just... Find you really interesting and attractive and... I want to get to know you, to see what makes you tick. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Sounds like too much. ...I would have thought you and your little friends were looking for a vacation fling each. You seem like those kind of people."

Antonio shook his head, "I think not. Francis, yes, flirts with everyone who shows mild interest - actually, even people who don't show any interest at all - but he's only ever tried to make the real effort to get someone to date him with one guy, who is grumpy as hell and doesn't want to bother, only saying yes when it suits him or when he wants the attention. They're dating, though, even though Arthur says they're not.

"Gilbert, too, has a girlfriend back in Germany. She's Hungarian, moved near him when she was young and they've been friends, and now lovers, ever since. She's a bit odd, though, and if you get on her bad side you'll meet the bad end of her frying pan, which I've had a couple of times. Gilbert's had it more times than he likes to admit."

"...And you?" Lovino asked, having genuinely been listening to his Toni's friends' stories.

"No partner to mention, and there hasn't been one for about a year now," he answered truthfully with a nod.

"Why? If I had looks like you..." Lovino blushed again but not as heavily as he had a few moments ago.

Toni chuckled, "Then that would be very sad because the world wouldn't get to see what the real you looked like." He reached up and brushed the backs of his fingers against Lovino's cheek gently, which gave the Italian goose-pimples. Suave bastard...

"Okay, quit it with the sayings like that. You'll make me ill," he said, removing his arm from Antonio's and looking around. "Where are we even going?"

"You'll see. I saw this place earlier and it looked good," Toni said, smiling brightly. "We passed it on our travels today."

"So I guessed. ...Oh, hey, uh, about my grandpa... and my brother... I'm sorry if they said anything stupid," Lovino said, putting his hands behind his back as they walked along. Toni did, however, give him the response he was hoping for, even though Lovi was sure it was a lie.

"Oh, no, don't be silly. They were fine! Delightful to talk to, even. Your grandfather is a charming man," Toni said, attempting to assure him, he guessed.

"No, he's not. He's a pain in the ass. ...He's just overprotective... We're the only family he has now, really. We were a little bigger, but my father's side was the bigger side. It was only Mamma that my grandparents had, so..." He shrugged. "We're like his precious little grandsons he can't let out of his sights for a second."

Toni nodded, "I see. Well, it makes sense. He's only watching out for you, after all. It's a nice thing. You shouldn't speak of it in a bad way."

"I don't. Overprotective attitudes just become annoying eventually. I love my grandpa dearly, but he can just be so irritating. He does it on purpose, and so does Feli on occasion, I'm sure." Lovino sighed quietly but shrugged again. Toni didn't really have much time to say anything else on the matter just then, though, as they approached the restaurant of Toni's choice.

It was a quaint little place, in the middle of the street, your typical Italian look to it. He'd seen a lot like it - heck, he worked in a place like this! Okay, so theirs was a little bigger, but that didn't matter. What matters is quality of food and service. He hadn't been in here before and was looking forward to judging.

Well, he was impressed when they were seated almost immediately, despite its somewhat busy atmosphere that night. They got taken upstairs by one of the open windows next to a balcony, and Toni acted as the gentleman by pulling out Lovino's seat for him. Lovi frowned, going to say something about not needing him to, but he quickly shut himself up. This was nice. Why ruin it by saying something stupid?

Toni sat opposite him and menus were placed in front of them right away.

"Anything to drink?" the waitress asked.

"I suppose a good bottle of red wine will do just nicely, Si?" Toni said, beaming up at her

The waitress nodded and then left them to it, and Lovino said, "They're punctual, I suppose. Question is, will the food get here on time?"

"Will you be judging them all night?" Antonio asked curiously, but he didn't ask in a way that indicated he was fed up with it already, more in an amused and understanding way.

"I can't help it. Look, where do you work?"

"I'm in an office right now. It's not so great."

Lovi rolled his eyes, "Hobbies, then."

"Guitar. I play an acoustic guitar every chance I get."

"Well, then, look at it this way," Lovino leaned forwards on the table a little and continued, "You listen to other musicians, judge them on how they do, even if you're not doing it on purpose - so, you decide after you've listened to a song whether you like it or not, si? - and then you listen to it again, mentally work out why you like it, what's good about it, all of that stuff, so you know how to improve your own work." He looked down at the candle that had been placed between them and moved it over a little so it wouldn't get in the way. "Feli, Nonno and I have always, whenever we've gone out to eat, silently judged the place on how it's run and what the food is like so we can compare to what we're doing at our place. We see what was good and whether we're doing the same thing so we can do well and impress people to earn more customers. Make sense?"

Lovino finally looked back up to Antonio and realised the Spaniard was smiling again, his head tilted a little to the left as he listened, and he seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say.

That was a first for Lovi.

Toni nodded, "Oh, that makes perfect sense. It's a good idea." It was at this point that the waitress had brought back a bottle, showed it to them for approval, and began to pour out their two glasses. She then went back to the kitchen to give them time to look over the menu. Lovino, of course, was wary of telling Antonio his reasoning behind the judging in front of the waitress.

"It's also nice to get to eat out every now and again. I love cooking. It's one of my passions, but when you're doing it daily and then going home to cook for yourself if you haven't eaten leftovers from the nights' special, it just becomes a bit of a bore... I like having someone cook for me for once." Lovino reached out and took a breadstick as he spoke, biting the end off when he was done.

"I can definitely tell you're passionate for it, Lovino. It's great that you have something you want to actually do for a living as your job. If I had my way, I'd be playing in restaurants or making my own music for my full time job. Dream come true, Hm?" He smiled again and sipped his wine, putting the glass back down and saying, "I don't know... I've never played for anyone else anyway, so..."

"Why not?" Lovi asked, mimicking his actions with his own drink. The wine was a good choice. He needed to thank the waitress for that.

"I don't know... I just never have. Maybe I just decided I wasn't good enough to play in front of people yet. I want to make it perfect before I unleash myself onto this world."

Lovino chuckled at that, "I'm sure you're good. Don't doubt yourself."

Toni snorted, "Si, well... What about you? If you're so passionate about cooking, then I want to try it."

"Oh, really? ...Tell you what - I cook, you play music for me, deal? I need a half of the bargain if I'm going to just cook for you willingly some time."

"...I'm sure I can agree to that deal. Alright, you find me a guitar and I'll play."

Lovino laughed again, "Alright."

.

"...No, you're not saying it right! Pronounce the sounds you're hearing. Stop adding different ones!"

Lovino walked along next to Antonio, his arm hooked through the other's gently. Lovino had given the meal a four star - food was perfect (they shared a large pizza), but took a little too long to get out to them than he'd expected it to. The waitress started to take her time as it got later, too, and she came to take their plates away a little later than Lovino would have liked, too. These details probably weren't important to someone else, but Lovino was specifically looking for these things. He couldn't help it.

Spending time with Toni had been really nice, too. They had spoken of each of their respective homes, talking of Spain a little more than Italy seeing as Toni was actually in Italy and Lovino had never been to Spain. They had also spoken of hobbies, going into Antonio's guitar playing a bit more – he had a range of music interests and tried a lot of them on his guitar – and Lovino got to complain about his family and his restaurant.

And then it got down to the obvious and Toni had said the line that made Lovi's heart sink – 'When I go back to Spain…'

But, Lovino tried to ignore it and continue with the date, even though there was a cloud hanging over him for the rest of dinner and he tried to keep himself cheery – as cheery as Lovino could be, anyway.

"I'm saying it! Are you sure you don't keep changing it?" Toni said, laughing as he nudged Lovi gently.

"I'm pretty dam sure. Look, just try again. Mi dispiace il mio culo è così perfetto. ...'Mi dispiace'..."

"Mi dis-pi-a-tche-"

"No, no, you don't need to even add the T sound in there! You're supposed to be Spanish! You're such a damn disappointment!"

"You're the teacher! If I'm not getting it right then you must be teaching it wrong," Toni said, but he was laughing too much by this point. He had brought the subject up again and Lovino had said it in Italian, causing the brief language lesson.

"You brought it up. I just don't understand how you can get it so wrong. ...You're doing it on purpose, aren't you?" Lovino raised an eyebrow and looked up at him, making the Spaniard give him THAT look. Grandpa's look.

"I wouldn't do that," he said. …Yeah, he was definitely doing this for the attention.. He couldn't be this bad at the words by accident. It was coming out wrong on purpose. "I'm surprised you'd even suggest it."

"I'm not. I'm used to people making this stuff up. Feliciano, remember?"

"Ah, si, nothing can get past you..."

Lovi shrugged, "Not surprising, really. ...Oh."

"What?"

"My house, already." He pointed to the one with nearly every damn light turned on, frowning. Why couldn't they learn to turn the stupid things off?

"Ah... Well, I guess this is you, then. ...Lovino, I had a really great night. Can I take you out again sometime this week?" he asked, hopefully, letting go of the Italian's arm and leaning against the wall.

Lovino hesitated for a second. He was just going to leave for Spain again. The man had told him that over dinner - that he was going back to his boring office after this vacation. He didn't want to get too attached to someone who was going to be gone.

Yet, he nodded. Why shouldn't he see him again before he goes? They had a really nice evening, and he wanted to do it again.

"I'd like that, Antonio. Very much so. ...And thanks for tonight. It was fun." He smiled, turning to go back into his house, but Toni gently stopped him with a touch to his arm.

A goodnight kiss never hurt anyone, and it certainly didn't hurt Lovino. It made him blush like crazy, and he really did go very, very bright red, like his lips were a light switch and the connection between the two of them turned his cheeks on. His eyes slipped closed and Toni's fingers slowly ran through the Italian's hair.

He hated to admit that he was disappointed when it ended, but Lovino had to go inside and Toni had to find his way back to his damn hotel, of course! Antonio pulled away from him, smiling, his own cheeks a little flushed, and he whispered, "Buonanotte, Lovino."

"...Buonanotte..."

"Si, Buonanotte, Antonio."

Lovino nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Roma's voice behind him. The Spaniard nodded out of respect and decided to say, "Buonanotte, sir. Grazie, for letting me take Lovino out tonight."

"Si, si, you're welcome. I didn't approve of your making his face do THAT, though-"

"Nonno! Dio, sei così fastidioso!"

Toni laughed lightly as the door slammed behind them both, and he muttered, "Si, Buonanotte, bello Lovino..."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while, but work and stuff came up.. anyway, here's the next chapt.**

* * *

'Finally,' Lovino had thought as he had gotten up for work the next morning, actually happy in doing so, for once. 'Something different has come along for me.' His brain hadn't gone so far as making him dream of Antonio, but as soon as he had woken up, he was one of his first thoughts.

Lovi was happy, and that was really pleasant. Everyone thought of him as being so grumpy all of the time but, the thing is, no one really attempted to make him the focus of their discussions much, or bothered to ask him about himself. Now someone actually had, it had cheered him up and he felt good. He couldn't remember the last time someone had been so interested in him. He wasn't even pissed off when Feliciano wouldn't shut up about what he had talked to Ludwig about that day. Lovi's date was, however, one of the first questions his younger brother had asked him, and Lovino just shrugged and said, "...It was good. Quite good."

He wasn't one for telling details. He liked his privacy, within reason, so if he deemed it as none of Feliciano's business, then he didn't have to tell him everything. He knew that would drive Feli crazy, but who cares? He wasn't like his brother. He didn't feel the need to share every single moment of the date with his younger brother.

Feli had forgotten to brush his hair that morning, and he had clearly dressed himself rather quickly in the effort to be able to get downstairs and sit at the table with Lovino to ask all of these questions he was desperate to know the answers to but wouldn't get. He'd get short answers that told more than Lovino would be usually willing to tell.

"Just quite good?! Grandpa said you kissed him! Tell me, Lovi! Where did you go? What did you do? What's he really like?" Feliciano leaned forwards in his seat, staring at his brother. It was starting to get rather creepy.

"A restaurant. We ate food. He's nice. And HE kissed ME, for the record," Lovino said, resisting the urge to smile at that.

"Lovino! Come ooon!"

A usual, same old day at the restaurant ensued when they got there. Well, same old up until around four o' clock. Juliet came back, and she and Roma sat in the corner for a few drinks. Lovino wondered if she was bored of this, seeing as this was pretty much what had happened last night, but she seemed happy enough and Lovino even went over to properly meet her. Last night he had only said, what, two words? Give or take. This time around, though, Lovi was his usual self around any woman, and that was kind and rather talkative - talkative for him, anyway. He tried to be friendly, anyway, but if someone did piss him off that much, then he felt that he had all the right to express his feelings, no matter how harsh.

Juliet was actually really nice. He wasn't surprised. Roma's taste in women was generally the same, so Lovi couldn't help but assume this was what their grandmother was like. She spoke with Lovino properly, too, but started most sentences with, "So, your grandfather told me..." Or "Roma said you..." so Lovino only had to nod along and agree with what had been said, not that his grandfather had been lying, of course. It was all true. She knew he had a date last night, what with the fact she was there when Toni came to get him, but Lovino was especially pleased that Roma had mentioned to her his kiss that had turned his face bright red.

Oh, but that kiss. It was short but very, very sweet. He wasn't mad that Antonio had initiated it, or that it had come along so fast in their dates, but he was glad it had. Toni would have had to start any kiss anyway. Lovino wasn't one to do these sorts of things. Then again, he had walked down the street, arm in arm with Antonio last night, and that's something he wouldn't have done before.

Oh, well, he just had to see what came of it.

As he was cooking that day, Lovi couldn't help but let his mind wander to what was going to happen when Antonio went back to Spain. He guessed that he would talk to him over the laptop like Feliciano did with his moron of a love interest. He still couldn't believe that... Although, if that was the case, he'd have to beat Feli to the laptop in the morning. Well, that wouldn't be too hard. The younger of the two despised getting out of bed, but the fact that their job relied on them so heavily was the thing that motivated him to get up. On his days off, you couldn't get him out of bed for hours unless he had scheduled a call with Ludwig, but even then he was often late for that, too.

So, meeting Juliet properly was the first thing. The second thing was Romeo.

Romeo was from Lovi and Feli's father's side, and the only member of that side of the family that they were still in contact with. He was their cousin, although he could be their brother, their mannerisms similar and his looks clearly stemming from his father's, who was Lovi and Feli's father's brother. They all had similar facial structures, and Romeo even had a curl in his hair, a little squarer than the two brothers' ones, though, and his hair was lighter.

Romeo lived in Seborga and came to visit every so often, even if not for too long, and was the only one who had made the effort to keep in touch after he discovered he had these relatives. It was nice of him, but did often just remind the two that their good-for-nothing father was still around and didn't give a crap about anything to do with them - not that Romeo or any of them actually knew where he was exactly. He, also, was the only one that Roma actually liked from that side of his grandsons' family, treating him like a grandson and deeming the rest non-existent. Plus, he would probably kill their father if he got his hands on him for what he did to his daughter.

Still, Romeo turned up out of the blue and Feli was pleased to see him as soon as he walked through the door. The restaurant was empty, save for Roma who had just said goodbye to Juliet and decided to stay, as they cleared up after lunch and prepared for dinner. He pushed his way through the door and called out, "Hello, my dear old cousins! How are you both?"

"Romeo! Hugs! Hugs!" Feliciano said, flying out of the kitchen and attaching himself to the younger man. "It's been a while! Where have you been?"

"Ah, just out and about, Feli. You know how it is. How's everything with you?"

"The usual."

"And Ludwig?"

"How did you know about that?!"

Roma soon walked over and stopped Feliciano's embarrassed babbles, hugging Romeo gently and asking the same questions you usually do.

"I'm good, Roma, thanks. Where's Lovi? I've missed my other cousin!" Romeo said.

"He's preparing tonight's special. He's there, see?" Feli said, pointing to the serving hatch of the kitchen where Lovino was visible through it. Romeo smiled brightly and headed towards the hatch, leaning against it.

"Hey, Lovi. How's it going?"

"Yeah, hi, Romeo. ...Get off of that! I just cleaned it! You'll get your germs all over the place," Lovino said, swatting at his cousin to stop him leaning against the steel and leaving fingerprints all over it. There's one thing the Italian liked in the kitchen, and that was cleanliness. Around the house, he couldn't care less and left it untidy, but everything was pretty spotless in the restaurant.

"Har har, you're so funny. I've missed you," Romeo said, moving for about three seconds before leaning against it again, much to Lovi's annoyance. "Been busy, have you?"

"Same old shit. Here again just to work and then go home," Lovi answered.

"Aw, you can't be that bored of the place. You love it here."

"I didn't say I didn't. It's just your usual stuff though." He stopped shaping the meat he was working with to rinse his hands under the water and then put on some hand sanitizer.

"You can't tell me NOTHING interesting has happened since I last came over. I know Feliciano has his little German... friend," Romeo quickly changed what he was about to say when he saw the look on Lovino's face. "...but you can't tell me nothing's new with you."

"Nothing is new with me," Lovino said.

"Liar. The whole restaurant knows about your date, so why can't your cousin?" Isabella, one of the chefs in the kitchen, said.

Lovino turned around and glared at her, "Don't you have somewhere else to be?! Something you should be cooking?"

However, now Romeo was laughing along with her. Great. He wouldn't put this down, now. He was like a dog with a bone. He leaned his chin on his hand, elbow resting on the serving hatch, as he spoke again.

"Date? Feli didn't say anything about any dates you had lined up."

"I don't line them up. This one was unplanned."

"Who was the lucky lady?"

Lovino scowled at him. "Why the fuck should I tell you?" He hated that Romeo just assumed, too. He was one of those people that assumed. Just because he was a womaniser like their grandfather didn't mean Lovino had to be. ...Okay, he did flirt with women, but so did Feli. That's just the way they were, so even if they were with men, they wouldn't change their attitude. It's not like Romeo was a homophobe or anything like that, but he, now, was just irritating.

"It wasn't a lady," Feli muttered quietly, to which Romeo's eyes widened. Lovino clenched his fists and turned away.

"Shit. Sorry. That was a little insensitive. Who was… he?"

He didn't have time for this. He was sure that if he didn't answer, Feli would do it for him. He just had to wait long enough, even though by then it should be clear that he didn't want to tell. Feliciano wasn't one to read that sort of mood from his brother, though. He'd tell him anyway without even looking at Lovi to check if it's okay to tell him or not.

"He's a friend of Ludwig's brother," Feli finally announced. "They're here on vacation, he and his two friends."

"Oh... So just a little vacation romance for him, then. I didn't know you were that sort of person, Lovi."

"He's not, and neither is Antonio."

"And Ludwig's not here?"

"No..." he answered sadly, hanging his head, which only made Lovi more annoyed. Lovino was listening – how could he not? – but listening meant trying to keep everything together. He didn't know if he could do that.

"Is he cute, Lovi? Do you love him?"

'Shut up, Feli,' Lovino thought, preparing to continue with his work and try and blank them out. That's not the sort of person he was, though.

"They've only been on one date."

Romeo smirked. "Has he kissed you?"

'Feliciano, don't-' Lovino grit his teeth, willing himself not to say anything.

"He has! Grandpa told me!" Feli laughed.

"Ahh, that's sweet. I bet you love him, Lovi. Maybe like how Feli loves his little Ludwig."

"Romeo! Stop it! We-"

Lovino had had it, by this point. He slammed his hands on the counter. "Oh, quit whining about your damn potato bastard! I really do not want to hear it! He's fucking stupid and a jerk and so are you for choosing a dumbass like him to date!" Lovino then looked at Romeo, "And you! You think you're so fucking amazing because you think you can get any girl you want, but you're just as stupid! It is none of your damn business who I date and who I don't, man or woman, so, both of you just fuck off and leave me alone!" Lovino then pulled off his new apron and threw it to the ground, pushing past the other kitchen staff, who were staring now, and out the back door into the little alley.

Here, he sat down on the ground, pulling his knees up close so he could hug them to his chest, forehead resting on them. He could hear Feliciano crying. Great. Just fan-fucking-tactic. He'd upset that moron, now. There was also the quiet whispers from the other staff.

They had seen him snap before, so it's not like they weren't used to it. There might be one or two of the new staff that hadn't seen it, and they were, most likely, the ones talking about him.

He didn't care though - well, he convinced himself he didn't care. It was just his stupid little brother crying over his fantasy about some random German guy he'd only met in person ONCE! How could he be in love with him!? That was stupid...

He and Romeo were just making him really irritated over Antonio, which was fair enough to Lovino because they were making it seem like he would be with this guy forever, which didn't seem likely right now if he was going back to Spain. Antonio could find someone else right away, and then where would Lovino be? Stuck here with the thoughts of what could have been because people won't stop fucking reminding him!

Lovino stayed here by himself for a little while before Roma decided to make his way out to see where Lovi had gotten to. He had, of course, calmed Feli down with Romeo first, so he was no longer a blubbering mess. No more than usual, anyway.

"Well, that was a performance," the elder man said, pulling a chair out from the break room and sitting on it on the other side of the alley to Lovino. "...What do you have to say for yourself?"

Lovino didn't. He stayed silent.

"...Lovino? Why did you shout at them?"

"...Because they were being annoying, that's why," he replied eventually, not looking up at him as he spoke so his voice was a little muffled. Roma's two grandsons often reminded him of children. They did most of the time, actually, the way they got angry, went quiet when they knew they had done something wrong, and how they answered the way a child would.

"Were they, though? Or was it because they were asking you about Antonio?"

"...Both."

Roma had a feeling that would be the case. "I see... Well, Lovi, what's the problem? You were exactly the same when Feliciano started telling you about Ludwig. 'What's his name? Who the hell is he? Has he touched you in bad ways?'" Roma said in a little imitation of Lovino's voice before chuckling. "...I don't see what the problem is. You're obviously smitten with this young man-"

"That is the problem," Lovino interrupted, looking up at him with a frown. "I like him, grandpa. I like him a lot already, and, if they keep asking me things, they'll know I like him a lot and I'll just get more attached and then he'll fuck off home to Spain. …He is going to leave, whether I like it or not, so I don't want to hear them speaking like that, or it's going to make things a whole lot worse."

Roma nodded, "Okay, Lovi, I understand." Getting to his feet, he pulled the chair next to Lovino and sat down again, putting a hand on Lovino's shoulder. Lovino didn't have a father – well, as far as Roma was concerned - so he had to give him the advice his father would have given him. He has had to do that all their lives, but this advice was important. "Listen, you know they were both only teasing you, but if you really do like this young man, then you don't need to explain yourself. When I met your grandmother, my family messed with me terribly, especially my father. He was a pain… But, I didn't let them stop me, and before I knew it, I had a beautiful wife and then we had the most incredible baby daughter…"

Lovino felt a pang of sadness when their mother was mentioned, but he continued to listen to what his grandfather had to say.

"But, Lovi, what I'm getting at is you should enjoy your time with him whilst he's here and then, who knows? You could stay in contact with him like Feliciano does over that camera on the computer. You're acting like it's going to be the end of the world when his plane takes off. You can't tell me there's no possibility of you staying in contact with him."

Lovino looked at him again from staring at the wall opposite them before he said, "I guess. …What if he finds someone else when he gets home?"

"Don't give him the opportunity. If he likes you that much, he's going to make the effort to talk to you, too. You're being far too dramatic about this. You've got to admit."

Lovino blushed. Okay, maybe he was. A little bit.

"…I'm sorry. You're right. I can just talk to him about this."

"Good. …Lovino, I haven't seen you like this with anyone before. You're happier now. I'm sure one or two days away from the restaurant won't kill you. Just… don't mess it up for yourself." Roma then got up again and dragged his chair back inside, Lovino pulling himself to his feet and looking over to the doorway after his grandfather.

"Thanks, Grandpa," he muttered, with a little smile on his lips, before heading inside.

Antonio didn't reappear until two days later, long after Romeo had gone home, much to Lovino's relief. He had decided to leave the next morning after he had arrived, sleeping on their couch so he could spend some time really talking to them. There had been a moment after Roma had gone to bed that Lovino had hung around to hear, and that was when Feliciano had asked, "Romeo? Have… have you seen our father recently?"

Romeo, who had been lying on the couch and channel hopping on the TV, looked to Feliciano and sat up. "Ah, yeah, I saw him last week. We had a family dinner thing," he said. "I've always thought he was a bit of a jerk, though, and he stayed with my father and spoke to him most of the night, so…" He shrugged. "I think he lives in Turin, or around there, at least. That's what my father said. They invited him to us, we never go there."

"Oh… Okay. Do you think we look like him?" Feliciano seemed to look really interested in knowing the answer. Lovi wondered why. He hoped that Romeo would say no, and that Feli was only asking to hear 'no'.

"Yeah," Romeo answered. "I mean, you look a lot like your grandfather, really. You can see your father in you, but not as much as your mother's side."

"Thank god," Lovino muttered, gesturing that Feli follow him. "Come on, Feliciano. Let him sleep."

"I'm not going to sleep right no-" Romeo started, but Lovi had grabbed his brother and dragged him out of the room before he could protest.

Lovino closed the door to the lounge and said, "Don't ask about him again. He left us. He doesn't care and neither should you."

"…Aren't you just a little bit curious about him?" Feli asked.

Of course he was. How could he not be? He didn't remember his father, hadn't even seen a picture, so, yes, he was curious. He wasn't going to admit to it though, so he shook his head. "No. Remember what he did before you ask anything else. Now, get to bed."

So, Romeo had left and they were on their way to the restaurant when Antonio had spotted them walking. He was with Gilbert and Francis again, of course, who neither Italian had seen since that first evening. Francis was the one talking at the time, in English, and he was muttering away, his flashy hand actions accompanying his words distracting Antonio at first from what the man was actually saying. His body language spoke a lot about his personality, showing what sort of person he was. Very open, very flirty, and flamboyant was definitely a word you needed in your vocabulary when describing Francis Bonnefoy.

Antonio smiled brightly when he noticed Lovino walking to work with Feliciano. He was glad he got to see him before he got to work, actually, and when he got close enough, he jogged over to the other, "Hey, Lovi!"

Lovino froze for a brief second before turning and, for the briefest of moments, flashed a smile. "Hey."

"Ciao, Gilbert! Francis!" Feliciano called as they started to make their way towards them.

"Hi, Feli. You're always so… full of energy. I'm exhausted and it's seven a.m," Gilbert said, yawning involuntarily.

"I hate to break it to you, but that's what happens when you're up for a lot of the night drinking, mon ami," Francis said with a grin before looking back at Lovi and Feli, "Already heading to the restaurant, boys?"

"Si, well, we've got a lot of preparation to do for the day. We always start around this sort of time," Feliciano said, nodding despite the fact Lovino had wrinkled his nose at being called 'boys'. It made him feel like a kid.

Antonio had been standing a little bit too close to Lovino for his liking, so the Italian took a step away so no one could call him out on it. He didn't need that from his friends, especially not that German's brother. Toni noticed, but didn't say anything, knowing he had to ask the question he had actually come to ask sooner or later. He had come to see if Lovi wanted to join them for the day, but the fact that Feli said they had to do a lot of preparation was putting him off a little bit.

"I see," Gilbert said, managing to stop Feliciano from continuing. It's not that he was being rude, but they had a time frame, and if Antonio was going to ask, he had better do it now. Gilbert decided to get the conversation on that topic going. "So, Lovino, how did you enjoy your evening out with Toni the other night?" Gilbert took Lovi's hand, which was promptly snatched away.

That jerk. The two of them were just snooping on their date! He assumed that Toni had already given them a detailed account of what had happened. He wouldn't be too happy if that was true.

"It was nice," Lovino said, albeit rather sourly. He had a scowl on his face, but then what Francis said next made him lighten his mood.

"You sound just like him. Won't tell us anything," the Frenchman jabbed a thumb in Toni's direction. So, he wasn't speaking either? That was good to know. He hoped this was out of respect for their privacy, too. He didn't know why, but he got the feeling that Francis and Gilbert were ones to share about their romantic encounters – especially Francis – so it was nice to know that Toni wasn't the same way.

"That's just like Lovino!" Feliciano said with a fond smile. "He doesn't say a word either! He just says things like 'it was fine, we went out for dinner, he's nice...'"

Antonio saw an opportunity here, already knowing how much Feliciano could talk, so seeing that he had Gilbert and Francis occupied, he took Lovino by the arm and pulled him away from the group, moving him to the side of the street so people could still get past. "I'm glad I ran into before you got settled into your work," he said. "We're going up to Venice, and I was wondering… Francis and Gilbert can go in their own direction when we get there, but I thought, maybe, if you wanted..." His voice trailed off, leaving Lovino to answer, even though he didn't specifically ask.

Lovi looked up at him, eyes hopeful, "You want me to come with you?" He had to ask, just to double check that this was, in fact, what Antonio was getting at. He didn't want to seem too eager, but if he was going to spend some time with him whilst he was here, and Antonio was inviting him, then that would actually be really great.

"Only if you want to, Lovino. I won't force you, and they said they wouldn't say anything if you did decide to come. ...So, what do you say?"

Lovino paused for a moment, looking to Feliciano. He had the restaurant to open, but the staff would be waiting to go inside by now, especially since they had stopped to chat. Feli was capable of getting the vegetables inside when the truck came to deliver them, and could always ask someone like Isabella to help. If he was really having trouble during the day, he could phone grandpa, right? And it's not like he hadn't opened up by himself before.

Then, Lovino thought of what Roma had said to him. 'One or two days away from the restaurant won't kill you.'

He nodded, "...I'd like that, Antonio. Grazie."

Antonio smiled and squeezed Lovino's shoulder gently, "Great! I'm glad you're coming, too. Hopefully you won't find it too hard to tolerate with all of the couples everywhere." Toni grinned at him before looking to the others, Feliciano still keeping them occupied with a dramatic story about something. His arms were waving frantically in front of him to illustrate whatever he was saying.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. But, you should learn to finish sentences and ask stuff properly. I'm not a mind reader," Lovino said. 'Only trying to keep him on his toes,' he told himself with a small smile as he went back over to Feliciano. "Hey, idiota, I'm going out today. You can handle opening up by yourself, can't you?"

"You're going with Antonio? But they're going to Venice," Feli said. "You hate going there because of all the couples and you nearly fell out of that gondola once and everyone laughed and—ow!"

Feli yelped when he was pinched, but he didn't say anything else after that, getting the hint, for once.

"I can row a gondola and stay in it just fine," Lovi growled. He crossed his arms, "I'll be fine. Now, you can handle the restaurant, can't you? You remember how to open the safe?"

"Si, of course I do… Go have fun, Lovi. I'll be okay," he said with a nod.

"Good. I don't have anything to change into-"

Antonio interrupted, smiling as he spoke, "You look great. Besides, it was unexpected, and no one is going to be judging you on how you're dressed. Now, let's go, or we'll miss the train."


End file.
